Jammu and Kashmir govt hospitals give away fake medicines to patients

The reports of drug controller and the laboratory suggest that the drug named "Maximizin 625", which was supplied to patients, had "zero quantity of the real salt". It was, therefore, declared of sub-standard quality.

advertisement

Shuja-ul-Haq

Srinagar

April 4, 2013

UPDATED: April 4, 2013 15:58 IST

Srinagar government hospital.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has been providing sub-standard medicines to poor patients undergoing treatment in its hospitals. Headlines Today has obtained documents that reveal that the Omar Abdullah government has made available thousands of fake amoxicillin tablets to its hospitals.

The documents available with Headlines Today suggest that the drug controller had seized around 8,000 tablets that were found to be sub-standard after being tested in a state laboratory. However, the government still continued to supply the medicine to patients in its various hospitals in November 2012.

The revelations raise question mark on the supply-chain mechanism adopted by the government. The reports of drug controller and the laboratory suggest that the drug named "Maximizin 625", which was supplied to patients, had "zero quantity of the real salt". It was, therefore, declared of sub-standard quality.

Deputy Drug Controller Nazir Ahmed Wani said, "We have tested the sample and the report suggests that it is substandard medicine which was supplied to government hospitals. We are seizing the medicine."